Illuminated spirit level having a recessed battery-receiving web



Feb. 27, 1951 c. A. FRIBERG 2,543,572

ILLUMINATED SPIRIT LEVEL HAVING A RECESSED BATTERY-RECEIVING WEB Filed Dec. 25, 1947 V A A INVENTOR ATTORNEYS.

Patented Feb. 27, 1951 ILLUMINATED SPIRIT LEVEL HAVING A RE- CESSED BATTERY-RECEIVING WEB Charles A. Friberg, Spokane, Wash.

Application December 23, 1947, Serial No. 793,573

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to spirit levels, and particularly to a spirit level embodying illuminating means for illuminating the sights thereof, thereby adapting the level for use in the dark.

An important object of the invention is to provide a level of this character including plumb and level tubes arranged in a single sight opening, and illuminating means manually controlled for illuminating the device, the construction of the illuminating means being such that the mounting of the illuminating means does not rely on the alteration of the usual spirit level stock or body portion.

With the foregoing and other objects in View which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claim, it being understood that changes may be made in the construction and arrangement-of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a spirit level equipped with an illuminating means constructed in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof, partly broken away.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmental side elevational View of the spirit level.

Fig. 4 is a sectional View taken on line i-4 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the reference character 5 indicates the stock or body portion of a spirit level, the stock or body portion being constructed preferably of metal and provided with a central web 6, curved as at l, the curvature being such as to accommodate dry cells 8 which are held spaced apart by means of the coiled springs 9, the coiled springs also acting to force the battery terminals i0, into engagement with the contacts of the electric lambs H, which are disposed within the openings [2 that communicate with the sight openings it of the spirit level, in which the tubes M- and are mounted.

These lamps l are positioned in threaded openings formed in the discs l 6 that are mounted at the ends of the central web 9, the discs l6 bearing against the widened portions ll of the web, holding the lamps in position.

The dry cells or batteries 8 are held in position by means of the plate it which is curved to conform to the curvature of the dry cells or batteries, the plate having marginal flanges l9 formed with openings through which the screws are extended, the screws being embedded in threaded openings of the web 0. As shown specifically in Fig. 4, the battery-receiving recess 7 is transversely curved through more than 180, while the cover plate is transversely curved through less than 180, the recessed web and cover plate cooperating to provide a battery-receiving recess of completely circular cross section.

( Cl. filt -6.44)

A switch 2! extends through the plate and is connected with the batteries in such a way that as the switch is moved in one direction the circuit of the lamps will be completed and when moved in the opposite direction, the circuit will be broken.

From the foregoing it will be seen that due to the construction shown and described, I have provided an illuminated spirit level which may be operated to illuminate the tubes of the sight openings of the spirit level, whereby the spirit level may be observed and read in the dark.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

In an illuminated spirit level a body portion including a central web formed with a longitudinally extending battery-receiving recess transversely curved through more than 180 degrees and disposed entirely to one side of the plane of central web, there being screw-receiving openings formed in said web at either side of said recess, said web being formed with sight openings adjacent opposite ends of said recess, there being bulb-receiving openings communicating between the sight openings and the end portions of said recess, a cover plate transversely curved through less than degrees and disposed oppositely to said recess, flanges extending along the longitudinal edges of said cover plate, screws extending through said flanges and removably securing said cover plate to the web, said cover plate and recess cooperating to define a tubular portion in which batteries may be deposited, and circular discs removably seated against the end walls of said tubular portion, the peripheral portions of said discs engaging the inner surfaces of said cover plate and battery-receiving recess respectively, said discs each having a central threaded opening in register with the openings communicating between the battery-receiving recess and sight openings, said threaded openings adapted for mounting of bulbs in engagement with batteries deposited in said recess and positioned to cast their beams into the respective sight openings.

CHARLES A. FRIBERG.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,001,206 McCullough Aug. 22, 1911 1,169,005 Caswell et al Jan. 18, 1916 1,176,374 Laplante Mar. 21, 1916 1,712,201 Deneen May 7, 1929 1,839,661 Ellison Jan. 5, 1932 2,205,733 Sauter et al June 25, 1940 2,305,678 Cravaritis et a1 Dec. 22, 1942 

